Hyundai Elantra Touring 2009 -

Comments

Glad your experience is good. I concur with your list. Mine is the 5spd SE in Black Pearl. Took delivery March 1 and am right at 7K miles, the result of a long commute. Other items I would have liked, and commented to Hyundai on:

1. Homelink. The mirror based system is made by a company in the US, but is available in Europe and not here???2. Tinted windows. Please! Those of us in Texas don't all like to get sunburn while driving INSIDE the car.3. How about the 2.4GDI with the 6spd, and call it the Elantra Hauler? :shades: (It would fit, and brother, would it run! Mazdaspeed my a$$.) :surprise:

lol...I really wonder sometimes about the bean counter's decisions! My car came with dark tint windows (they were tossed in for free!) and it really helps ease the load on the a/c. I live in Vegas so it's not just for vanity!Question: does anybody know the reason the moon roof opens 7/8th of the way on auto but can be retracted into the roof manually? I did notice that if it is opened all the way, there is pretty bad buffeting at speed. The turbulence is almost non-existent when left in the auto-open position. I do like the auto-close feature as my Mazda didn't have that. It'll be interesting to see how the chrome inserts in the 17" wheels hold up. I can already hear some clacking when getting underway. They look sharp but I'm sure they're going to get a little noisy after a while. The black pearl w/5-spd sounds like a nice combo! I passed on a similar one before deciding to buy and kind of regret it. The silver is fine, though. Just not an emotional choice... :confuse:

I read somewhere in the manual that the 7/8 auto open was exactly for the reason you suspect, that it is the position that is optimal to reduce buffetting. My '05 GT didn't have that feature and a certain speeds I had to open a window.

As a nod to "Pirates of the Carribean", the Touring is referred to in the household as "The Pearl".

THe pull wasnt as bad, but the dyanmic of it not want ing to go straight was still present. IMO the smaller wheels were masking the problem...i.e the wheels and tires are not the problem. The alignment specs for both the 09 and 10s are the same. The units however are different. The 09 specs are listed in degrees and minutes...where the 10s are in degrees.

Also the voltage drop when theres a load( accessories running) at idle was not fixed by a new alternator.

WOW!! Maybe for the first time in my life, I have a car that isn't out to get me. My '10 GLS with 15' steelies does not pull at all. After what I have been through with vehicles, this is a small victory believe me. The only negative I have encountered is the strut/strut top/spring squeek on the driver's side. Since I don't drive the car, I don't plan on fixing it any time soon.

When it cools a bit I will go check the voltages on mine. I read that the alternator is some sort of super efficient unit, but 12.1 means you are running on battery. For short periods of time (as in stop and go traffic) that isn't a big deal, but it is still surprising. If this is like most alternators, as the voltage goes down, the current output is going up. You can reach a point where the regulator cannot allow enough output. Sort of protects the charging system that way.

I will let you know what readings I get. You know, you get the same symptom if the idle is too low. Just a thought.

Everything Ive read suggests ~ 1.7 volt drop is way too much. Unfortunately the problem is that the fan speed slows, wipers slow, and lights dim. Again, the rental toyota I tested behaved as I expected since theres no loss running the accessories at idle. Just 0.1 drop in voltage was all when all accessories were on.

Is this correct- Isnt that the whole point of the regulator to supply the battery with enough charge when the alternator isnt producing enough at idle?

The odd thing is they determined the first alternator was no good- but the numbers I got from my test and symptoms are the same with both "good and "bad" alternators.

Good point on the idle...Ill check what it is in drive vs spec. Thanks!

Battery only: 13.0 (this was just after turning the car off. Typical would be 12.6Idle, no load: 14.1Idle, full load: 12.12K RPM, Full Load: 13.8

Which is exactly how I would expect the alternator to behave. What the regulator does is maintain a steady preset voltage regardless of how fast the alternator is turning, or how heavy the load is. Typically, if you are turning one fast enough to put out the rated current capacity, it will stay right in the 13.6 to 14.2 volt range. What you are seeing is that the alternator is not turning fast enough to produce its rated capacity. This isn't just a Hyundai thing, I have seen it on everything I have worked on. The only way around it is to either raise the idle speed, or use a smaller pulley on the alternator causing it to spin faster. Either of these methods will affect fuel economy, though only by a small amount.

Your dealer should know this. I have tested GM, Ford, and Chrysler, as well as various other brands, and this is very common. After all, if the engine is at idle, you aren't moving, so the wipers, fan speed, etc just are not as critical. One other variable that will sometimes raise it's ugly head is heat. I have seen solid state regulators in alternators that would do fine until the underhood temps got high, like we see here in Texas during the summer. Then you can see one fall on it's face, even when the engine is above idle.

This is why you can't really charge the battery in a car by letting it idle. If you have a good battery, and turn off all accessories and lights, it will give the battery a boost. But fully loaded and you just run the battery down further.

Alternators. Gotta love 'em.

EDIT: I just went the the Hyundai Tech pages and found that the current and voltage output of the alternator should be tested at 2500RPM. There is no mention of any testing done at idle.

If you would like, go to www.hmaservice.com and set up an account. Hyundai puts TSB, Shop manuals, pretty much the whole enchilada on that site.

Yep. They also slow down on the '99 Blazer, the '02 Blazer, the '04 Yukon we just sold (but not as much).

If you look at the service site, they show the output of that alternator to be 45A minimum under load. The rated capacity of the alternator is going to be marked on the casing, but I couldn't see it from the top. That is a small alternator. I would guess maybe 85A maximum, and that may be generous.

12.6V is the correct voltage for a fully charge battery. For a short time after turning the engine off, when the alternator has been running 13.8 to 14.1, you will get a higher voltage. As I indicated, I saw 13.0. If you leave your meter on the battery and watch, it will slowly drop to 12.6V, possible a little lower.

That is because a lead-acid battery is made up of six 2.1V cells. Drop one cell and you will read 10.5V. And your car probably won't start. :sick:

I just tested this on my wifes aveo. No loss- accessories are as strong at idle as they are under acceleration. My 08 infiniti didnt do this. The rental toyota doesnt The speeds of the elantra fan motor and wipers are barely adequate w/out loss. Sigh... Im really having a hard time believing this is normal.

What speed does the Aveo idle at? The output of the alternator is a function of it's speed when you are at idle. Get much above idle and it is a moot point. If you took two identical alternators and put a smaller pulley on one, then connect them to the same engine, the one with the smaller pulley will begin output before the one with the larger pulley.

Is it possible you have a bad ground or power buss connection? That should have been checked out also. In simple terms, a poor connection acts like an additional load on the alternator in that you get a voltage drop across it. So if, for instance, your electric fan on the vent ran at say, 600RPM at 12.6V, but you have a poor connection, you will drop voltage across both the fan and the bad connection, so that the fan is no longer getting all the voltage, but only what hasn't dropped across the bad connection. It will look like a weak alternator, but the true clue is to measure the voltage drop from the B+ terminal of the alternator to ground, then measure from the B+ to the positive battery terminal. There should be little if any voltage measured. Same with the ground side. Ground is ground, and if there is a voltage between the frame and the negative side of the battery, bad connection and you won't get full voltage to the accessories.

When I mentioned that the Yukon didn't have much of a voltage drop, I should have stated that it turned the alternator at a higher speed during idle, and was a 140A alternator. Designed for extended idling and still charging.

Hyundai advertises that it uses high efficiency alternators for improved fuel economy. Now you may have figured out how they did it. No charging at idle, which effectively means no load on the engine at idle.

I came to this forum because my current car is a 2001 Elantra GT 5-speed and the 2009+ Elantra Touring is the current equivalent.

My 2001 Elantra is about to turn 225,000 miles and has been relatively trouble-free, particualrly for it's mileage. The only non-maintenance items that have been replaced are the passenger front wheel bearing (at 210,000 miles), the oil pan (because I stripped out the drain plug threads - doh!), the long-side half shaft (190,000 miles), and the MAP sensor (215,000 miles). I've changed the timing belt every 95,000 miles and performed all rotine maintenance as prescribed (or ahead of time). The only real mechanical issue is the fact that the synchronizing gears in the manual transmission seem to be pretty worn with some mild grinding (if you don't shift slowly) when shifting into 2nd and 5th gears.

Amazing original parts include the alternator, the rear struts (they still feel good), the short-side half shaft, fuel filter, and oil and fuel pumps (particularly since I have driven my gas tank to near empty most of the time).

All that aside, I am considering two cars for a replacement. One of course is the 2011 Elantra Touring (5-speed). The other is the 2011 Nissan Versa hatchback (5-speed). Both cars are roomy and have good luggage capacity and seem to have gotten good reviews from owners. The Versa definitely has better gas mileage and will cost me about $3,000 less. I also like the look of the Versa better - wish the Elantra would have kept its true "hatchback" look like the one I own as it looks like a station wagon now. The only feature I like that I would not get on the Versa is leather seats (been riding on leather seats for 9 years in my current Elantra). And that $3,000 price difference is pretty tempting.

My current Elantra has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. I know nothing about how the Versa will last. I do plan to own my next car for another 9-10 years, so long-term reliability is very important. I am also a spirited driver (which can stress cars a bit more than the normal driver), but I also take very good care of my cars related to maintenance.

What do you all think of the Versa compared to the Elantra Touring? I will not be buying right away, but plan to buy within the next 6 months. Thanks!

Don't know about the '11, but the '10 was not available with leather, only the standard and premium cloth. My '10 Touring SE is a blast to drive. I put about 60K on an '05 Elantra GT, and I would have to say the "sports wagon" Touring handles just as good if not better. I can easily get 34MPG on the highway running 70 with the air on. And the ride is better on the Touring.

Yes, the 2011 is not available yet, but I have seen "leather" listed as standard on the higher end model here on Edmunds.

I was able to test drive a 2010 base automatic tonight and ride seemed nice. I am just not so sure I like the "wagon" look. In my opinion, the old "hatchback" look of my current 2001 Elantra GT looks much sportier, just a little dated in overall styling now.

I liked the look of the hatchback, but the Touring is good looking in black pearl. One thing I have noticed though is that the front bumper is a very soft vinyl and rocks will put nicks in it pretty easily.

If I had known at the time that leather would be in the 2011 I would have waited. Well, I might have waited. I drive over 60 miles a day in my commute, and the car I was driving could barely manage 20MPG and had over 90K miles on it. Normally that wouldn't be too much of a concern, but as the third owner, I didn't know how well it had been cared for in its early life.

I stand corrected. The local dealer listed a 2011 Touring GLS on their web site, and I went by to see if it was real. It was. It looks EXACTLY like a 2010 inside and out, except for one thing. The roof rails are silver/gray satin finish. Which, to be honest, did not look that good on the bright blue car. All the other trim bits are black, so the rails look like an add-on.

The only way you could tell this was a 2011 was the rails mentioned above, and the window sticker that stated "2011 Elantra Touring GLS"

See if you can find the SE model. It is supposed to have leather seats as standard equipment along with beefy tires.

My local Hyundai dealer (one that I don't trust) said the 2011 Elantra Touring would not begin being built for another 3 months. I thought that was not true and figured he just wanted to try to sell one of his many 2010 models on his lot.

BTW, I think the leather interior is limited to the sedan SE, and not the Touring SE.

I tried to "backdoor" investigate and see if leather replacement seat covers were available through Hyundai for the Touring, and they are. Very expensive. What I couldn't determine is if this was a non-US option as several items are with the Touring, most notably the Homelink rearview mirror. As I have mentioned before, this is very strange since the mirror is produced for sale in the US, but not available as a factory installed option. Other items are the back up sensors, the diesel engine option that is apparently very popular in Europe, etc.

Got the car back. Not much difference despite a few tweaks...swapped out the rims for the steel wheels...calibration of the electric steering...full rotation of the tires. Torque pull really isnt the issue, Now if I full throttle it at any point, I do feel a little extra tug to the right, but under normal acceleration and crusing, I can write that off as a contributing cause. I drive a highway daily that the left lane does crown to the left, and if it does drift left, it can be compensated for like in any other car. Now we wait for another Hyundai Rep to come to the dealership.

The other problem is the accessory power drop off at idle. As Ive stated, Havent driven a modern day vehicle that does this. While on vacation, I tested other family members cars, and the only drop of voltage between all tested were 0.1 volts( from idle to full load) and of course no slowdown of accessories. Sounds like the voltage regulators are doing the job. My car? Not so much...it drops from 13.8 to 12.2-12.3. when accessories are on.

Your Elantra (and mine) have 95A alternators. Most American made vehicles will be 105A to 130A, depending on the make and model. I am afraid that what you are experiencing is normal for the alternator used in this application. The easiest way to change the design would be to use a smaller diameter pulley on the alternator to increase it's spinning speed at idle.

Because of a compression of time schedule at work today, I was put in a position of using my Touring to deliver some material to a vendor. I pulled around to the loading dock at work and the guys looked at the stack of seven big boxes, and looked at "Pearl".

They started laughing and said "Dude, those will never fit in that little thing".

But they did. All seven, though I did have to put one in the front passengers seat. Made me a little nervous to drive in bumper to bumper traffic with cargo worth five times the value of the car! :surprise: